Life preserver and distress signal



' a 25,194s. WARE 2,320,111

LIFE PRESERVER AND DISTRESS SIGNAL 7 Filed May 16, 1941 IN VENTOR.

FCIS'T'ER WARE BY E ATTO NEY- Patented May 25, 1943 LIFE PRESERVER AND DISTRESS SKGNAL Foster Ware, San Francisco, Calif.

Application May 16, 1941, Serial No. 393.5169 1 v 1 Claim. (Cl. 221-735) This invention relates to an improved life preserver and distress signal that is especially designed to be used by swimmers and the like to enable them to float, until aid can be obtained,

in the event they are in distress while in the water.

An object of the present invention is to provide a foldable inflatable member such as a small balloon and to incorporate therein an especially constructed device that is capable of carrying a compressed gas-filled cartridge, the pressure of which can be released into the balloon by merely gripping the device and to thus produce an extremely small compact safety apparatus that can be attached to a bathing suit and operated in a simple and efiicient manner.

Another object of the invention is to use the device in connection with a standard gas-filled cartridge that has a lead seal in the outermost end thereof and to provide means for puncturing said seal and admitting the gas into an'auxiliary chamber that is provided with a pair of apertures having other lead seals that can be punctured when it is desired to release the gas into the balloon.

A further object of the invention is to provide the device with a pair of lever-like handles that are pivoted thereto and which carry projecting members that are locked against the seals in the auxiliary chamber, thus supporting said seals i against the gaseous pressure from within the chamber and which can be used to puncture the seals to release the gas into the balloon whenever it becomes necessary or desirable.

A still further object of the invention is to detachably enclose the device into the neck portion of the balloon and to fold the main body portion of the balloon and compactly arrange the same onto an end portion of the gas pressure control device and to provide means for attaching the same to an ordinary bathing suit.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the gas pressure control device shown enclosed into the neck portion of aballoon and shows the main body portion of the balloon in side elevation and folded on an end of the device.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the gas pressure control device.

Fig. 3 is an end sectional view taken on line 3+3 of Fig. 1, looking in direction of the arrows. Fig. 4. is a central longitudinal partial sectional view of a clamping head that fits tightly around the handle members;

.Fig. ,5 is a side elevational view of the gas pressure control device with the clamping head and gas cartridge removed, and

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of an inflated life preserving balloon and shows the retaining band that is provided for holding the gas pressure control device into the neck portion of the balloon.

Referring in detail to the different parts, the numeral 1 designates the clamping head that is formed with a threaded central stud member 8 upon which there is threadedly mounted a collar 9 having a pair of ear members H] and H formed onto the outer periphery thereof, said ear members serving to support the lever-like handles l2 and I4 that are pivotally connected thereto by the pins I5 and I6 respectively, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. A hollow member ll forming a chamber [8 is threadedly mounted onto the stud portion 8 of the clamping head 1 and fits tightly against the bottom face of the collar 9 and is provided with two apertures I9 and 20' that are closed by soft metal seals 2| and 22 respectively.

The apertures I9 and 20 are preferably tapered as illustrated in Fig. 1 and the seals 2| and 22 can be made of a soft metal, such as solder, and soldered to the inner wall of the hollow member I! after which it can be machined or otherwise formed to the exact thickness and shape desired. The entire member ll can be made of a suitable soft metal and formed with a pair of weakened portions which would be the equivalent of the seals mentioned to serve the purpose of the invention. The handles l2 and [4 are provided withpointed projecting portions 23 and 24 respectively, that are positioned to fit into the seals 2| and 22 as shown in Fig. 1. Said handle projections 23 and 24 are held tightly against the seals 2| and 22 by the clamping head I that is formed with an inner circular surface as shown at 25 in Fig. 3 and which fits tightly against the upper straight portions of the handles l2 and M as shown in Fig. 1, thus providing a rigid support against the seals that will prevent any pressure from within the chamber l 8 from blowing therethrough.

The cartridge for containing the compressed gas is preferably a small hollow cylindrical member 26 having a threaded neck portion 21 that is threadedly supported into the bottom of the housing I! and extends into the chamber [8, said neck portion 21 having an opening 28 that extends therethrough.

Said cartridge is similar to a standard article now on the market for containing compressed CO2 gas and the outer end of said opening 28 is plugged with a soft metal seal 29 that is adapted to be punctured. A pointed projection 30 is fixed into the bottom end portion of the stud 8 and punctures the seal 29 when the cartridge is threaded into the housing I! which will provide communication between the inside area of the cartridge and the chamber H3.

The balloon 3| can be any suitable air tight bag preferably terminating in a rectangular neck portion 32 and the said pressure control device is mounted therein and substantially held thereto by a metal retaining band 33 that is held tightly in position by the threaded member 34. The end of the neck of the balloon is substantially tied by a suitable cord 35, thus completely enclosing the gas pressure control device and the body of the balloon is folded and held to the retaining band 33 by a suitable cord 36 that can be tied or otherwise suitably fastened to the ears 3"! of said band. A suitable pin 38 is provided to attach the device to a bathing suit. Numerals 39, 40 and 4| designate resilient packing rings for sealing the respective joints to make them gas tight. Any suitable sealing fluid can be used to seal the threads.

From the foregoing it will be observed that when it is desirable to inflate the balloon the cord 36 is released from the folded portion thereof and the handles I2 and M are gripped which will cause the pointed projections 23 and 24 to puncture the seals 2| and 22 and gaseous pressure will pass from within the cartridge 26, throug outlet 28 into the auxiliary chamber [8 and through the punctured seals and apertures l8 and 20 and into the balloon.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes relative to the material, size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A compressed gas pressure control device of the character described comprising a body forming a chamber, a compressed gas-retaining cartridge threadedly secured into the body and sealed 7 thereto, said cartridge having a sealed outlet extending into the chamber, a projecting member extending through the chamber and capable of puncturing the sealed outlet of the cartridge when the cartridge is threaded into the body whereby compressed gas is admitted into the chamber, a pair of apertures positioned oppositely opposed to each other in the side wall of the chamber, means for sealing said apertures, a pair of pivotally connected manually operative handle members having projecting elements thereon for puncturing said means sealing said apertures, and a clamping member for normally retaining the projecting elements on said handle members in a position over said means sealing said apertures to prevent the premature breaking of the seals by the compressed gas pressure from within the chamber.

FOSTER WARE. 

